Folklore has a way of ringing down through the centuries, calling out to be heard. And for this particular set of legends, that couldn’t be more literal—or terrifying.
Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Jamie Vargas.
—————————
“Another Ghost!” The Bury and Norwich Post. 3/5/1834, p.1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/394702546/?match=1&clipping_id=156378231.
Batuman, Elif. “The Bells.” The New Yorker. 4/20/2009. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/04/27/the-bells-6.
“Bealing Bells.” Engole. Updated 6/20.2024. https://engole.info/bealings-bells/.
“Bell.” Superstitions Online. 10/22/2009. https://superstitionsonline.com/bell/.
“Bomere, Shomere and Betton Pools.” Designated Sites. https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1003107.pdf.
Briggs, Stacia and Connor, Siofra. “Weird Suffolk: Poltergeist Activity at Great Bealings.” East Anglian Daily Times. 2/1/2019. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21445662.weird-suffolk-poltergeist-activity-great-bealings/.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Bell.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 4/28/2024. https://www.britannica.com/art/bell-musical-instrument.
“Building the Minster.” Dewsbury Team Parish. https://dewsburyteamparish.org.uk/heritage/building-the-minster/.
Burne, Charlotte Sophia. Shropshire Folk-Lore: A Sheaf of Gleanings. London: Trübner & Co., 1883. Digital. https://archive.org/details/shropshirefolkl00burngoog/page/n10/mode/2up.
Campbell, Duncan. History of Prince Edward Island. Charlottetown: Bremner Brothers, 1875. Digital. https://archive.org/details/historyprinceed00campgoog/page/n4/mode/2up.
“Church Bell.” Medieval London. Fordham University. https://medievallondon.ace.fordham.edu/exhibits/show/medieval-london-objects/churchbell.
Cohen, Daniel. In Search of Ghosts. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1972. Digital. https://archive.org/details/insearchofghosts00cohe/page/54/mode/2up.
Daniels, Cora Linn and Stevans, C. M. Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World. Vol. 1. Chicago: J.. Yewdale & Sons Co., Publishers, 1903. Digital. view here.
“Devil’s Knell.” Engole. Updated 2/12/2023. https://engole.info/devils-knell/.
“The Devil’s Knell at Dewsbury Minster and the Tenor Bell, Black Tom.” The Johnstone’s Web. http://99b.uk/B2Bells/B2023DevilsKnell.htm.
Dray, Philip. Stealing God’s Thunder: Benjamin Franklin’s Lightning Rod and the Invention of America. New York: Random House, 2005. E-book.
“Fearful Loss of Life—Wreck of Fairy Queen.” Haszard’s Gazette. 10/12/1853. p.2. view here.
“Flash Flood History Severn and Welsh Borders.” Jbatrust.org. https://www.jbatrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Severn-and-Welsh-borders.pdf.
“For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Dewsbury Reporter. 12/20/1996, p.1. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005161/19961220/010/0001.
“Frankwell Flood Alleviation Scheme Shrewsbury.” Environment Agency. https://geography.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/TR-Shrewsburyfloods-Dec22.pdf.
Guiley, Rosemary. The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Digital. https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofgh0000guil_s6t5/page/46/mode/2up.
Guiley, Rosemary. The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1999. Digital. https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofwi00guil/page/270/mode/2up.
Hanks, Patrick, Coates, Richard and McClure, Peter. The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. Vol. 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. Digital. https://archive.org/details/oxford-dictionary-of-family-names-in-britain-and-ireland-2016/page/2492/mode/2up.
“History.” St. James Presbyterian Church. https://kirkstjames.ca/history/.
Hole, Christina. English Traditional Customs. Totowa: Rowman and Littlefield, 1975. Digital. https://archive.org/details/englishtradition0000hole/page/n7/mode/2up.
Holman, H.T. ““Altogether Unproductive of Profit”: A History of the First Prince Edward Island Steam Navigation Company.” Canadian Nautical Research Society. Vol. 30. https://www.cnrs-scrn.org/northern_mariner/vol30/tnm_30_23-44.pdf.
Hope, Robert Charles. The Legendary Lore of the Holy Wells of England: Including Rivers, Lakes, Fountains, and Springs. London: Elliot Stock, 1893. Digital. https://insearchofholywellsandhealingsprings.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/legendaryloreofholywellshope.pdf.
Huanaco, Francisco. “Witches Bells: Their Magical Origins, Purposes and Uses.” Spells8. 7/5/2022. https://spells8.com/witches-bells/.
Lady Wilde. Ancient Legends of Ireland. London: Chatto & Windus, 1919. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/61436/pg61436-images.html
“Landscape Legends of Eastern England.” Hidden East Anglia. https://www.hiddenea.com/norfolkt.htm.
“Loss of the Fairy Queen.” Haszard’s Gazette. 10/22/1853. p. 2. view here.
MacDonald, Edward. “Ghosts of the Fairy Queen.” University of Prince Edward Island. 10/30/2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7_Kpn8CZyU.
Moor, Edward. Bealings Bells. Woodbridge: John Loder, 1841. Digital. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bealings_Bells/lWcwAQAAMAAJ?gbpv=1.
Notes and Queries: A Medium of Inter-Communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, Etc. Vol. 7. January-June 1853. London: George Bell, 1853. Digital. https://archive.org/details/notesqueries7118unse/page/n7/mode/2up.
Pevsner, Nikolaus. North-East Norfolk and Norwich. London: Penguin Books, 1962. Digital. https://archive.org/details/northeastnorfolk0000pevs/page/n7/mode/2up.
Podmore, Frank. Modern Spiritualism: A History and A Criticism. London: Methuen & Co., 1902. Digital. https://archive.org/details/modernspirituali01podmiala/page/n9/mode/2up.
Radford, E. & M. A. Encyclopedia of Superstitions. London: Book Club Associates, 1974. Digital. https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofsu0000radf_c8i3/mode/2up.
“Rea Brook.” Floodmapper UK. https://www.floodmapper.co.uk/data-explorer/operational-catchments/Rea%20Brook.
Rej, Arindam. “Why the Devil’s Knell is a Christmas Tradition in Dewsbury.” The Yorkshire Post. 12/23/2015. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-culture/why-the-devils-knell-is-a-christmas-tradition-in-dewsbury-1806887.
“St Peter and St Paul, Tunstall.” The Norfolk Churches Site. http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/tunstall/tunstall.htm.
“SS Peter and Paul’s Church, Tunstall.” Norfolk Heritage Explorer. https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?MNF10392-SS-Peter-and-Paul%27s-Church-Tunstall&Index=2&RecordCount=1&SessionID=c1ffe09f-cdd5-403c-ac69-1ace536bda77.
“Scheduled Monument 1006251.” Shropshire HER. Heritage Gateway. Updated 3/29/2022. https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MSA131&resourceID=1015.
“Scheduled Monument 1003016.” Shropshire HER. Heritage Gateway. Updated 1/31/2024. https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MSA132&resourceID=1015.
Simpson, Jacqueline, and Roud, Steve. A Dictionary of English Folklore. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Digital. https://www.tadshistory.com/TADS/books/A_Dictionary_of_English_Folklore_ABEE.pdf.
“Some Descendants of (Sir) John Sothill Knight (1215-1266).” Ancestryregister.com. http://washington.ancestryregister.com/SOTHILL00006.htm.
Spencer, Ann. And Round Me Rings: Bell Tales and Folklore. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2003. Digital. https://archive.org/details/androundmeringsb0000spen/page/224/mode/2up.
“To the Editor of the Ipswich Journal.” Ipswich Journal. 3/8/1832. p.4. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000071/18340308/012/0004.
Turner, J. Horsfall. Yorkshire Notes and Queries. Vol. I. Bingley: T. Harrison, 1888. Digital. https://archive.org/details/yorkshirenotesa01turngoog/page/n6/mode/2up.
Underwood, Peter. Dictionary of the Supernatural: An A to Z of Hauntings, Possession, Witchcraft, Demonology and Other Occult Phenomena. London: Harrap, 1978. Digital. https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofsupe0000unde/page/n5/mode/2up.
Walker, J. W. Wakefield Its History and People. Vol. II. London: S. R. Publishers Ltd., 1966. Digital. https://archive.org/details/wakefieldithisto0002jwwa/page/630/mode/2up.
Watson, Julie V. Ghost Stories & Legends of Prince Edward Island. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1988. Digital. https://archive.org/details/ghoststorieslege0000wats/page/n5/mode/2up.
Watson, Julie V. Shipwrecks & Seafaring Tales of Prince Edward Island. Halifax: Nimbus Publishing Ltd., 2009. Digital. https://archive.org/details/shipwrecksseafar0000wats/page/80/mode/2up.
Westwood, Jennifer and Simpson, Jacqueline. Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends From Spring-Heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys. London: Penguin Books, 2006.
“Why Being a Bell-Ringer During the Middle Ages Was One of the Worst Jobs in History.” Campaners de la Catedral de València. https://campaners.com/php/textos.php?text=7263.
Lexy
2025-01-09 21:24:38 +0000 UTC